Book Extracts

Hello readers,

Many thanks for your continued interest in my ramblings.

From tomorrow, as well as my regular blog posts, I plan to publish short extracts, teasers if you like, taken from my novel 'A Girl like Alice'. I hope you will enjoy them.

My next blog post will illustrate the space hardware featured in the book, with further items on the various aircraft flown by Alice during her adventures. I will also reveal the role that Microsoft Flight Simulator has played while researching the different aviation scenarios.

Please feel free to leave any comments suggestions etc. but remember, we artists are sensitive souls, so be gentle! ;0)

2012

You only have to open Google these days and type in '2012' to be faced with the full gamut of science, pseudo science, conspiracy theories, mysticism, end of time predictions, Jesus' second coming, Armageddon, etc. etc. And, of course, mustn't forget the Olympics and all the conspiracy theories around that!

Although there is a lot of obvious claptrap, it does seem to me that there is something in the air, a feeling, in the 'ether', that something is going on.

Personally, I feel strangely privileged to think that I could be alive during an event that only happens once every 26000 years.

I don't propose to enter into a long explanation of this. Interested readers can find all the data about ancient prophesies and the astronomical events associated with them elsewhere: http://www.december212012.com/

Briefly, however, the coincidence of the solar maximum, together with solar magnetic pole reversal, planetary alignment, the sun crossing the plane of the galaxy etc. is predicted by some to cause cataclysmic events here on earth. At the least, an electromagnetic pulse from the sun could knock out the entire world's communications. And, at the worst, it could cause a reversal of the earth's magnetic field and even a sudden tilting of the earth on its axis. Wow!

The last time a solar storm of the predicted magnitude occurred was during the 19th century, when electrical communications were in their infancy and the disruption was minimal. In the meantime human civilization has become totally dependent on electronics. This kind of disaster would put any of the Y2K predictions in the shade!

Some say that, as we get closer to the fabled date, December 21st 2012, there will be ever increasing incidents of strange phenomena and geopolitical events. I have to say that the number of reported UFO sightings, crop circles, etc. does seem to have increased; particularly around Warwickshire, where I live.

Regarding UFO's; my own scepticism was challenged when my wife and I saw one last year. We had seen the International Space Station, (ISS), pass over our house, when my wife spotted a bright red object of a similar magnitude to the ISS, approaching from the same direction and at the same speed. Suddenly it changed course twice and sped off at 90 degrees to its original path, changing from a bright star like object to a fuzzy oval. Also my cousin and his wife say they saw one on a clear night over Dorset. It was V shaped with a row of 3 bright lights equally spaced along each arm of the V and drifted silently across the sky. My cousin spent his entire career as an aircraft engineer, so qualifies as a reliable witness.

Some years ago, one of my fellow gliding enthusiasts had two daylight sightings, one of which was captured by an ITV film crew who were making a documentary in the area. He is also a 'qualified' observer, in that he knows what an aircraft or a weather balloon looks like.

As for crop circles, for me, the jury is still out! One appeared in a field near us but seemed too rough and ready to be a 'natural' phenomenon. See my next blog for thoughts on these and the more esoteric aspects of the 2012 predictions.

Anyway, that’s enough for now. So, with the theme from ‘The Twilight Zone’ going through my head its bye for now and... don’t have nightmares! :0)

Noetic Science

I have just finished reading Dan Brown's latest epic, 'The Lost Symbol'. The literati are always critical of the quality of his writing. To some extent they are right, but I believe that some of it is just envy. He has, obviously, found the Holy Grail, lol, of novel writing, having sold over 1million copies on the first day of release, breaking all historical sales records for fiction.

I had no idea what the book was about and had not read any reviews. So you can understand that I was a little 'spooked' when I realized that it is written around the hypothesis of an intelligent universe, where everything is linked and human consciousness has an effect on the material world around us (the effect of mind on matter). What 'spooked' me is that this was the subject of my last blog called, 'What's the point of Dinosaurs'! Just a coincidence of course?

Incidentally, one of my readers thought I had taken leave of my senses! 'Lost the plot', so to speak.

The story itself is not that brilliant, with a fairly predictable, 'Dan Brown', style plot. However it still gripped me to the last page. But for me, and millions of others, it was an introduction to the Science of Noetics. The following is an extract from the Institute of Noetic Science's press release in response to the sales success of the book:

About Noetic Science

The word "noetic" comes from the ancient Greek nous, for which there is no exact equivalent in English. It refers to "inner knowing" or “intuitive consciousness”—direct and immediate access to knowledge beyond what is available to our normal senses and power of reason. Noetic sciences apply the lens of science, its rigors and standards of evidence-based research, to the multidisciplinary study of the mysteries of consciousness.

You can read the full text on the IONS website: http://www.noetic.org/

Another interesting link is to The Princeton Engineering Anomalies Research (PEAR) program: http://www.princeton.edu/~pear/

According to IONS, Dan Brown has researched the topic very thoroughly and the descriptions of the scientific methods used are real. All this appears to have taken the online world by storm. Personally, I find the whole thing fascinating and look forward to following developments in the months and years ahead.

I expect to blog more on this but, appropriately, my next posting will be my thoughts on the predictions surrounding the 'apocalyptic' date of 21st December 2012. For those 'End of the World' merchants- you know who you are- there is an alternate definition of Apocalypse. From Greek it is apocalupsis, which means, revelation.

What's the Point of Dinosaurs?

Once compositional problems are solved and the tonal design established, the work of a visual artist is relatively routine. It leaves plenty of time, while applying paint to canvas, to ponder on ‘life the universe and everything’.

The earth is about 4.5 billion years old, but humans, the only ‘sentient’ species, (at least as far as we know) have been around for a mere million years or so; less than a blink in the cosmic eye. Furthermore, knowledge of the pre history of life on earth has existed for less than two centuries.

Darwin’s ‘Origin of Species’ and, more latterly, ‘The Selfish Gene’ by Richard Dawkins, explain the mechanisms of evolution. Disappointingly, they explain the ‘how’ but not the ‘why’ of life on earth. Life has existed for millennia, apparently, without anyone to comprehend or appreciate its complexity and beauty. The idea that the last 14 billion years, since the ‘Big Bang’, is a preparation for our arrival just won’t wash. There is no point in any of it unless there is an observer, somewhere, to give it meaning. Notice that I have studiously avoided mentioning God; more on Him later.

The only conclusion, that my tiny brain can reach, is that the universe itself must be intelligent. It seems that more and more people, all over the world, with far greater intellect than I, are reaching a similar conclusion. At last, this great question is the subject of serious scientific study, free of the fear of ridicule. To, probably, misquote Shakespeare; I can’t be bothered to check- It would spoil my flow: “There are more things in Heaven and Earth, Horatio, than are seen in your philosophy”.

I have never been a fan of organised religion. The major faiths are both divisive and repressive, and rely, for their power, on the artificial generation of fear and guilt. However, after much discussion, with Christian and Hindu friends and colleagues, I believe that all of them have some truth hidden within. Many believe that the Catholic hierarchy, in particular, is sitting on a vast repository of esoteric knowledge that is deliberately withheld from public view; for fear that such information would undermine their power.

If, for instance, the afterlife is ‘real’, then it is a part of ‘reality’; a hitherto unknown or unexplored branch of physics and, therefore, an integral part of the way the universe is made. Logically, it is likely to be as complex as the physical reality that we see around us, and as such, not always benign. Now there’s a scary thought!

My personal view is one of excitement and optimism. Humanity may be on the brink of earth shattering discoveries and revelations, which will alter our view of everything; a paradigm shift, for the better, in human evolution. I hope that it may be proven that there is something greater than this reality, which, for far too many people, is a squalid, frightening and painful experience.

On the other hand, these may be the fanciful musings of someone rapidly accelerating towards the final curtain. :)

The Story Behind the Book 'A Girl Like Alice'

Friends have been telling me, for years, that I should write an autobiography or memoir. I had always laughed at them until 3 years ago when I read an article on 'the five things you should do before you die'. One of them was, write a book. I realised, for the first time that I had more than enough knowledge and experience of life to do just that. I decided to write a biographic novel. All that I needed was a hook, something to make my story stand out from the crowd. I needed a suitable principal character, male or female, around whom a plot could be woven, a person who was different in some way; someone with the talents for success, but with personal demons which would have to be overcome before his or her dreams could be realised.

A few years ago, I returned to my office, from a business meeting, to find a very well dressed young woman, who I did not recognise, talking to one of my colleagues. After she had left, my colleague asked me if I knew who she was. It transpired that she was, in fact, a he- a former colleague who was in the process of gender reassignment. Needless to say, my failure to recognise him became the subject of much amusement at my expense. However, it was not until much later, when I was reminded of the incident during a dinner with friends and colleagues, that it dawned on me that, at last, I had my principal character.

From that point on, the story seemed to write itself and became a hugely enjoyable experience. However, I soon realised that my choice of a transgendered heroine not only took me outside my comfort zone, as a heterosexual male, but made the book difficult to categorise, in that it doesn’t easily fit into an established genre. However, I screwed up my courage had some POD copies made and rolled them out to people who I knew would give me an honest critique. The response was so overwhelmingly positive, from both male and female readers, that I decided that this unusual tale deserved a wider audience.

The story is entertaining, romantic, and sexy, and, I hope, inspiring. There is something for everyone, from the difficulties of childhood to conspiracy theory, terrorism, religion, politics, aviation and spaceflight. http://bit.ly/DYjzn

Lightning Strike!

Lightning F6's of 51 Squadron (Firebirds) blasting into the evening sky.

With a power to weight ratio greater than one to one, the climb performance of these aircraft remains exceptional even today.

I was at an air show when the Lightnings arrived. One of them taxied into a roped off area in the crowd. There was much squealing, from the girls, as the jet exhaust blew at their skirts and re-arranged their hair. No health and safety concerns in those days! The pilot climbed out and spent a few minutes shooting the breeze, with the ground staff.

I tried to imagine what it must be like to be a handsome young man of 22 entrusted with, what had to be, the ultimate hotrod!

The painting is, 24” x 20” Acrylic on Canvas and is in the collection of the artist.

Going Solo

All young men need adventure and excitement, at some point in their lives.

Many years ago my attention was drawn to a small add, in the local paper, offering trial flights at a nearby gliding club. My first flight was in a tandem two seat sailplane, towed aloft by a light aircraft. As soon as the rumble of the undercarriage was replaced by the loud rushing of the slipstream, I knew that, at last, I had found something which would give my feckless youth meaning and purpose.

I took to the air like a duck to water. It was as if it had always been my natural element, always there just waiting to be discovered. Normally it took 40 to 60 launches to go solo, but after my 19th flight and to my total astonishment, the instructor stepped out of the rear seat, stowed his seat straps and said, 'off you go then!'

With my heart beating like a trip hammer I signalled for the winch driver to take up slack and watched as the cable went tight. Then 'All Out!' and I was off!

My first solo beat anything I had done before. It made other, more conventional, achievements, however hard won, appear as nothing by comparison. It was my first step in an on going challenge that was to give me 16 years of adventure and excitement.

"Once you have tasted flight, you will walk the earth with your eyes turned forever skyward, for there you have been, and there you long to return" Leonardo Da Vinci.

For more information on this wonderful sport, follow the link to the British Gliding Association Website: http://www.gliding.co.uk/